The Battle for First Place.

Boy, are we in for quite a series. It always seems like playoff games when these two teams go at it, but this series actually will show us who really is the 1st place team of the AL East. The Yankees are 1-5 against the Sox this year, and as most of us know, allowed the Sox to get their first win of the season. That is way behind us now. Since the Sox swept the Yankees in their second series they are a whopping 16-6 (this includes the sweep).

After that series the Yanks are 13-6, and the Sox are 13-5 (not including 2 postponed games). In any case, regardless of any of these statistics, the Yanks stand alone in first place by a just one game, with about 100 games to go. The race is finally heating up for the AL East. The other AL East opponents are hovering around mediocrity, but they are not showing much of the good stuff compared to these two leading teams.

As a Yankees fan, I would hope for a series sweep so I don’t have to hear about anything less from my Boston buddies, it most likely won’t happen though. Ultimately, the Yankees will take 2 out of 3. Here is why I think this:

Game 1:
Jon Lester vs Freddy Garcia

This one is the game I think the Yanks can lose. Although, Freddy has been great as of late, in his last start against the Sox he got demolished (5.1 IP, 6H, 4ER, 2BB, 4K, 2HR). Lester hasn’t been his same self lately, but if the power lefty can hold it together and not give up a ton of hits like he has been recently, the Sox can probably scratch out a win here.

Game 2:
Tim Wakefield vs AJ Burnett

Tim Wakefield, one of the longest tenured Red Sox will take the mound for one of his few starts of the year. Personally, I think his knuckleball is pretty nasty, but since he has been around so long the Yanks know how to pound it. AJ has been one of the saving graces for this team and has pitched fantastic throughout the season. AJ of 2010 seems to be gone, and lets hope he keeps it that way. If he does, then the Yankees will take this game.

Game 3
Josh Beckett vs CC Sabathia

This is the third time this season these two will be matching up. Beckett has taken the first two and he leads the AL in ERA. As good as Beckett is this season, he is bound for a bad start, and a rubber game at Yankee Stadium can put a lot of pressure on him and cause him to crumble. Not to mention I can’t foresee Sabathia pitching another dud against his division rival. Sabathia has pitched at least 8 or more innings in his past 4 starts, including 1 complete game, and almost a second one this past start. Yankees will take this one, but this will most likely be the lowest scoring affair of the three.

Anyway, the series should be thrilling and as always very long. I’m excited for it, and I’m sure many, many of you are too.

In other news:

I saw this photo yesterday on Gothamist, and really got a kick out of it. This photo was revived from a 1936 issue of LIFE magazine!